On October 30, 1970, almost eight years ago to the day, I gave a paper entitled, “The Quest for Orderly Change,” before the Midwest Regional History of Education Society in which I attempted to critically analyze some of the key assumptions of the new liberal philosophy which have occupied the center stage of American social and educational reform in much of the twentieth century. This afternoon I would like to reflect back on the conditions which gave rise to that interpretation; on some of the research that has been done in the intervening years on that topic; on some of the criticism engendered; and lastly to sketch some of the areas which need more careful and extended inquiry.